Adjusting a protocol for a concrete appliance

Abstract

A method, a computerized apparatus and a computer program product for adjusting a protocol for a concrete appliance. The method comprises: obtaining a protocol, wherein the protocol is a user-defined communication protocol, wherein the protocol is utilized by a generic appliance; obtaining a specification of a concrete appliance, wherein the specification is a computer-readable specification, wherein the concrete appliance is a concretization of the generic appliance, wherein the specification indicates one or more limitations of the concrete appliance which are not generic limitations applicable to the generic appliance; and modifying the protocol based on the specification, whereby adjusting the protocol to comply with the one or more limitations of the concrete appliance.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 obtaining a protocol, wherein the protocol is a user-defined communication protocol, wherein the protocol is utilized by a generic appliance;   obtaining a specification of a concrete appliance, wherein the specification is a computer-readable specification, wherein the concrete appliance is a concretization of the generic appliance, wherein the specification indicates one or more limitations of the concrete appliance which are not generic limitations applicable to the generic appliance; and   modifying the protocol based on the specification, whereby adjusting the protocol to comply with the one or more limitations of the concrete appliance.   
     
     
         41 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein said modifying comprises: restricting values of one or more fields within a message in accordance with the specification. 
     
     
         42 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 41 , wherein said restricting values comprises restricting values that are not supported by the concrete appliance. 
     
     
         43 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 41 , wherein said restricting values comprises restricting values that are supported by the concrete appliance and are indicated by the specification as not recommended. 
     
     
         44 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing a maximal rate of messages. 
     
     
         45 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 44 , wherein the one or more limitations comprise a limitation of the concrete appliance to perform actions in response to the messages, wherein the maximal rate of messages is defined based on the limitation, wherein the limitation is based on a physical limitation of the concrete appliance on a rate of the actions. 
     
     
         46 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 44 , wherein the one or more limitations comprise a limitation of the concrete appliance on a rate of receiving or processing messages, wherein the maximal rate of messages is defined based on the limitation. 
     
     
         47 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing a minimal delay between two messages. 
     
     
         48 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein the one or more limitations comprise a pre-condition on a state of the concrete appliance, wherein a processing of a message, by the concrete appliance, is conditioned on the pre-condition, wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing the pre-condition. 
     
     
         49 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40 , wherein the concrete appliance is configured to be deployed in an environment in which communication messages are transmitted to or from the concrete appliance based on the protocol. 
     
     
         50 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40  further comprising: enforcing, in a deployment environment, the modified protocol, wherein the deployment environment comprises the concrete appliance. 
     
     
         51 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 50 , wherein said enforcing comprises: generating a new message to comply with a minimal frequency requirement indicated in the specification. 
     
     
         52 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 40  further comprises defining a modification action to modify a message that complies with the protocol and does not comply with the modified protocol. 
     
     
         53 . A computerized apparatus having a processor, the processor being adapted to perform the steps of:
 obtaining a protocol, wherein the protocol is a user-defined communication protocol, wherein the protocol is utilized by a generic appliance;   obtaining a specification of a concrete appliance, wherein the specification is a computer-readable specification, wherein the concrete appliance is a concretization of the generic appliance, wherein the specification indicates one or more limitations of the concrete appliance which are not generic limitations applicable to the generic appliance; and   modifying the protocol based on the specification, whereby adjusting the protocol to comply with the one or more limitations of the concrete appliance.   
     
     
         54 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said modifying comprises: restricting values of one or more fields within a message in accordance with the specification, wherein said restricting values comprises restricting values that are not supported by the concrete appliance. 
     
     
         55 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing a maximal rate of messages, wherein the one or more limitations comprise a limitation of the concrete appliance to perform actions in response to the messages, wherein the maximal rate of messages is defined based on the limitation, wherein the limitation is based on a physical limitation of the concrete appliance on a rate of the actions. 
     
     
         56 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing a maximal rate of messages, wherein the one or more limitations comprise a limitation of the concrete appliance on a rate of receiving or processing messages, wherein the maximal rate of messages is defined based on the limitation. 
     
     
         57 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing a minimal delay between two messages. 
     
     
         58 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the one or more limitations comprise a pre-condition on a state of the concrete appliance, wherein a processing of a message, by the concrete appliance, is conditioned on the pre-condition, wherein said modifying comprises: enforcing the pre-condition. 
     
     
         59 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 obtaining a protocol, wherein the protocol is a user-defined communication protocol, wherein the protocol is utilized by a generic appliance;   obtaining a specification of a concrete appliance, wherein the specification is a computer-readable specification, wherein the concrete appliance is a concretization of the generic appliance, wherein the specification indicates one or more limitations of the concrete appliance which are not generic limitations applicable to the generic appliance; and   modifying the protocol based on the specification, whereby adjusting the protocol to comply with the one or more limitations of the concrete appliance.